Strength
by ImperialEvolution
Summary: Keith always needed to be strong for those who needed him. Lance tries to hide how much he misses home.


_**A Voltron: Legendary Defender FanFiction.**_

 _ **Strength.**_

 _A/N:_

 _I started writing this as a drabble, and it grew into a one-shot. I am obsessed with Klance. Send help._

 _Declaimer:_

 _I don't own Voltron._

"Start training level three," Keith said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. He settled into a battle stance as the bot materialised. He'd faced this bot a million times, so as he fought, his mind started to wander.

Shiro often asked why he was constantly training. Shiro always told him that he had a family again, people who would look out for him. He didn't need to constantly watch his own back, he had people who would do that for him.

Keith parried a quick blow, reprimanding himself for letting himself get distracted.

 _Block, slash, strike._

He knew that they'd watch out for him. That's why he trained. He couldn't afford to slip up. If he did, he'd be putting everyone in danger.

 _Dodge. Parry._

Keith had to look after everyone. It wasn't his fault that they were always making reckless decisions!

He struck out, anger fuelling his blow. His bayard sliced through the bot's chest. He smirked, triumphant, at the robot that lay at his feet. "Begin training level four."

Another metal training partner appeared, its sword raised and ready to attack. Keith let out a growl, running at it with full speed. Their swords met in a terrific clash, the strikes and blocks of this robot much faster than the previous.

Keith slid under the bot, quickly gaining his footing in time to swing at it's head. Miraculously, the sword-wielding robot caught his strike, pushing him back onto the defensive.

Keith had to keep his skills sharp so that he could protect his team. As much as he'd like to deny it, he would be nothing without his friends.

 _Block, parry, swipe._ The sound of sword on sword became white-noise.

He couldn't live with himself if he'd let something happen to Shiro.

 _Feign left, strike to the right._

Or Pidge.

He caught the bot's blade on his, kicking it backwards.

Or Hunk.

The bot was on the defence now.

Or Coran.

Keith struck before it could recover, catching it unbalanced.

Or Allura.

He growled as the droid blocked his next strike, retaliating with a series of quick blows.

Even Lance.

Especially Lance.

 _Lance. Broken, bloodied, unconscious on the floor. Coran is dazed, blaming himself. God, Keith should never have let Lance out of his sight. This would never have happened if he'd been there. It should have been him taking the brunt of the explosion._

 _Shiro is holding Lance in his arms. A mix of jealousy and protectiveness surged through him. All Keith can think is that this shouldn't be happening, and he should have been there and how scared he is. He feels his breath catching, a lump growing in his throat. Whoever was responsible for this would pay. He'd kill them if he got the chance. He feels sick._

 _Suddenly he's being ordered away, told to help the villagers away from danger. Everything about this is wrong. He should be staying here with Lance. Looking after him. Saving him._

Keith was brought back to the present as the bot's foot rammed him in the stomach, sending him flying into an nearby wall. His bayard clattered across the floor. Between Keith and his bayard stood the robot, advancing slowly. Keith struggled to his feet, muscles screaming in protest, and raised his fists. He could still win. He just had to-

"End training sequence!" a voice yelled from behind the bot.

The robot powered down, leaving Keith reeling, lungs clawing for air. He slumped against the wall, brushing the hair out of his eyes. He looked up to see Lance standing over him, holding out a hand.

Lance frowned as Keith stared at him. "I've never seen you so distracted while fighting. Are you-"

"I'm fine!" Keith muttered sharply, pushing himself up.

"Sorry for trying to act concerned!" Lance retorted sharply, shoving his hands in his pockets and giving him a evil look. "It's dinner, if you want some," he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

Keith rolled his eyes at the Blue Paladin's back, retrieving his bayard from where it lay. He didn't need Lance's help.

...

Hunk, Shiro and Pidge were already halfway through their meal when Keith arrived. Lance had only just started. Judging by the glorious aromas emanating from the kitchen, Hunk had been cooking.

Keith immediately felt bad for not coming sooner.

Down the table, Hunk and Pidge were quietly discussing the mechanics of a particle barrier, using scientific jargon that no-one else could understand. Keith quickly retrieved a plate, giving himself a generous portion of the meal Hunk cooked, trying to pretend that he hadn't missed anything.

Lance pointedly ignored him as he sat next to him. Everyone could sense the tension crackling between the red and blue Paladins. Pidge and Hunk shared an anxious glance.

"So," Shiro started slowly, trying to break the ice. "Training went well today."

Lance snorted. "Keith nearly killed me!"

Everyone ignored him.

"We're making good progress. Soon, we'll be able to form Voltron even quicker."

Keith could tell by the glazed looks in the rest of the Paladin's eyes, that they were sick of hearing about Voltron. And frankly, he had to agree. It was all well and good that they were (supposedly) chosen to pilot a magical lion that formed the (supposedly) ultimate weapon in the universe, but there were no breaks. They never stopped fighting, and if they did it was just to run and fight another day. He understood that there was no going back. They couldn't go back to Earth until the universe was free of Zarkon's tyrannical rule. But none of them knew when this cycle of violence would end - or if it would ever end.

Keith sighed, hunching his shoulders and nestling closer into his seat. Eventually, a thick silence settled over the Paladins as they ate, and one by one, they made their excuses and left. Keith cast a glance at Lance as he left. Lance didn't look back. He never looked back.

...

Keith always had trouble getting to sleep, and that night was no exception. He tried counting coloured lions and closing his eyes and clearing his mind. Nothing worked. He checked the time. His clock told him it was the equivalent of two o'clock. He groaned and rolled over. That was when he heard the footsteps.

Someone was walking passed his room, evidently trying to be quiet, but failing rather miserably. Keith headed for the door, entering he walkway just in time to see Lance disappear around the corner.

Keith didn't hesitate, stealthily following his fellow Paladin, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Lance was in the control room, sitting at the base of the panels of Altean technology, staring at the map of the known universe mapped around him. Keith had seen the defeated hunch of his shoulders before - at the party before the Galra attack.

Keith knew what it was like to miss people, contrary to people's beliefs. He'd left everything to join the Garrison, his adopted parents and their new born son, his friends, everyone he cared about it.

Keith sighed. "Lance?" he said, causing the boy to startle. "What are you doing here?" He knew exactly was Lance was doing; missing home.

"Keith! I- Why do you need to know?"

Keith would be lying if he said Lance's defensiveness was a surprise. "Because it's two in the morning, I'm tried, and you're... You're clearly not okay. I want to help."

Lance was surprised, to say the least. Keith could see his doubt and suspicion written all over his face.

"Sit down," Lance offered, patting the ground next to him.

Keith obliged, wincing as his knees cracked. He followed Lance's gaze to the blue sector, in which Earth rested.

"It's okay to miss it, you know." He paused, chuckling without humour. "I miss Earth too. We all do."

"I know," Lance said simply, but his frown remained in place.

Keith needed to distract Lance from his pain. He didn't realise what he was going to say until it left is mouth. "My mother and father died when I was very young. They were great people, but they didn't believe in smoke alarms. I know know how I survived, but I did. I was then thrown into the foster system, and I moved around a lot. I learn not to make friends, because I'd never stuck around for long."

Lance was looking at him now, his gaze measured.

"By my fifteenth foster family, I'd given up, but I was proven wrong. The McLelends were... amazing. They were so kind to me, helped me with anything I needed. I was always smart, and I was teased for it by those at school. I always thought that if I did something big, they'd stop hurting me. Instead I got expelled, and put into the foster system, taken away from the one place I'd felt at home.

"I started acting out, getting into all sorts of trouble. I payed for fighting lessons, all sorts of martial arts and stuff. I was... I was going down a dark path. But then I was given to the Shirogane's."

"Shiro?" Lance's eyes widened. "Woah, I had no idea."

"Yeah... Their entire family took me in and helped me become a better person. My grades picked up, and I started picking up the pieces of my childhood. But I wanted something else. I wanted to to something no-one else had done before. When the Garrison offered a scholarship to me and Shiro - how could we say no? I did know that it meant sacrificing everything I loved."

Keith doubted the Blue Paladin knew he was staring, but he took it in his stride.

"Keith, I had no idea... I'm so sorry."

Keith tried to smile, but it never reached his eyes. "Don't worry about it." He realised his eyes were tearing up, and wiped at them furiously. "Sorry."

"What for?" Lance's eyes were concerned, skating over Keith's face. In the silver half-light, he looked like a god. He looked like a star.

Keith exhaled a shaky breath. "For letting you down," he whispered, too ashamed to look Lance in the eyes. "There are so many times you and the others have gotten hurt, and I don't... I should be there to catch you when you fall."

"Keith..." The Blue Paladin smiled, his voice soft. "You don't have to pretend to be strong for us."

Keith looked away. "I have to protect you." He knew how stupid he sounded. He could feel Lance's disappointment radiating from, judging him. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. Any of you."

Lance put a hand on his shoulder. "We're fine, Keith. We can look after ourselves."

Keith looked at Lance, allowing a small smile to spread across his his face. "Says the guy who jumped in front of a bomb - I don't think so."

Lance chuckled softly. "Shut up! I saved Coran's life!"

Keith shrugged. "If you say so."

There was a content silence for a few moments, when both their gazes turned to the constellations mapped around them.

"We'll go back to Earth," Keith said, twining their fingers together. "I promise."

Lance looked at him, surprised, but he didn't shy away from Keith's touch. "You know, Mullet, you're not so bad."

Keith raised an eyebrow, allowing a soft smile to play on his lips. "You too, asshole."

Lance bumped Keith lightly with his shoulder, laughing. "Shut your quiznak!"

Keith laughed. He didn't notice how Lance's eyes widened, breath hitching, before smiling along with him.

"I still don't think you're using it correctly," Keith whispered, drawing Lance's gaze. He yawned, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "It's late. I'm gonna go to bed."

Lance made a noncommittal noise, making no effort to move. Keith looked down at their hands, still pressed together in a perfect match. Keith dropped the Blue Paladin's hand, standing.

Keith looked at Lance, who stubbornly refused to move. "You should get some sleep." He hated how soft and feeble he sounded. "Lance, please."

When the other Paladin made no reply, Keith started to walk away.

"Stay with me."

Keith stopped short, looking over at the other boy. He looked a mess, eyes trying and failing to hide desperation, hair sticking out in various directions, the downturn of him lips so unnatural on Lance's face. He wasn't even trying to hide the heart that he so clearly wore on his sleeve.

Keith didn't know why he walked back to Lance's side, letting the Blue Paladin lean against him. He didn't know why he didn't shove the other boy away when he started using him as a pillow, or when Lance took his hand in his. He didn't know why he didn't leave when Lance fell asleep.

But he did know that having Lance next to him, knowing he was there, it made him feel strong.


End file.
